Oil-storage apparatus.



A. A. BOWSER.

OIL STORAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED 050.11. 1914 Patentd Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

AfA. BOWSER.

0H. STURAGE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11. I914. 1 16,10, Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 $HEETS-SHEET 2.

WITE STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

ALLEN A. BOWSER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

OIL-STORAGE APPARATUS.

1,160,106. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 9 1935.

Application filed December 17, 1914. SerialNo. 877,641.

To all whom, it may concern, with fluid, and the tube 8 and the pipe 13 Be it known that I, ALLEN A. Bowsnn, are hermetically sealed with the top wall a citizen of the'United States, residing at of the tank. 4 Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and A barrel track 12 is supported above the 5 State of Indiana, have invented certain new tanks by means of standards 11, and this and useful Improvements in Oil-Storage Aptrack extends over all of the tanks so that a paratus, of which the following is a specibarrel containing oil may be rolled thereon fication. to discharge into any one of the file openings. This invention relates to the storage and The oil is discharged from the barrel 10 discharge of oil, and the object of the presthrough itsbunghole, a fill pan 8' being procut invention is to provide an improved vided for use in connection with the fill construction for oil tanks in which a tank pipes to receive the direct discharge from will be positively sealed at all times against the barrel, each of the fill pans being comthe passage of vapors into the chamber or monly provided with a removable screen.

1 room containing the tank. (Not shown in the drawings).

A further object is to provide improved Any suitable pumping device, such as a means for venting several tanks or receppump 15 (see Flg. 1) may be provided for tacles which may be assembled in an oil removing the oil from the tank, a separate storage system in such a manner as to prepump commonly being connected to each suc- 20 vent the intermixture of vapors from diftion pipe 13. In the embodiment shown in ferent tanks and the formation of explosive Figl the storage tanks are arranged below mixtures, at the same time permitting the a dlscharglng floor A,the pumps 15 (only one introduction of air into the said tanks to take llg hown) being each dlsposed to disthe place of the oil drawn therefrom. charge into a drlp pan 16' connected by 25 Oth r and further objects will appear means of a return pipe 17 with its respective hereinafter. tank. Each of the return pipes 17 is sealed In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspecabout the top of its tank and extends withtive of a storage system embodying a pluin a short dlstance of the bottom of the rality of tanks constructed in accordance tank and below the bottom of the suction 30 with the principles of this invention; Fig. 2 pipe 13, thus maintaining a fluid seal for the is a section through one of the tank units pipe. shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective of Each suction pipe 13 1s prov1ded with a one of the tanks or receptacles on a larger strainer 14 but the extremity of the suction scale showing a barrel supporting track, plpe, as before stated, is above the lower ex- 35 the suction and return pipes, together with tremity of the fill pipe 8 and the return pipe the pump, not being shown 111 this figure; 17 so that a fluid seal will be provided for Fig. 1. is a top plan view of the tank shown the ends of these pipes at all times, even in Fig. 3-, and Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of though the level of the fluid in the tank is a portion of one of the vent means with a just below the end of the suction pipe 13.

vent valve shown in section connected thereto. A vent pipe 19 is connected to avent open A plurality of tanks 1, 2, 3, 4:, 5 and 6 are ing 18 in the top of each tank, and these shown in Fig. 1 arranged with their lateral vent pipes 19' are connected to a common walls abutting each other, each preferably header 20 which leads to an uptake 21 pro- -rectangular in form and provided with a vided with a gooseneck 22 at the end dismanhole cover 7 hermetically sealed about posed outside of the building in which the I its edge to the top wall of the tank. Eaeh oil is stored, the gooseneck being commonly of the manhole covers is provided with a provided with a screen to prevent passage fill opening in alinement with the fill openof flame thereinto. The gooseneck and ings of the other tanks, and suspended from screen are also for the purpose of protecting- 50 each of the covers is a fill tube 8 which exthe header from the water, and from admistends from the top to Within a short distance sion of dirt or foreign matter. of the bottom of the receptacle or tank and In each of the vent pipes- 19 is a casting below the intake end of a suction pipe 13 23 having an aperture to form a seat fora so that the passage of vapors from the tube valve 24. Each valve has a stem 25 slidable 55 8 is prevented by its lower end being sealed in an apertured partition 26 through which 0 flammable or explosive vapor into the. storseating a yapors pass from the vent pipe. The valve Is free to open upwardly to permit the discharge of air and vapor when the tank is being filled or by the expansion of vapor mixture of the different vapors.

In order to provide means for permitting the entrance of air into each tank to displace fluid drawn therefrom the valve castlng 23 is provided below the valve 24 with a lateral extension 27 having a downwardly extending assage in which is a gland 28 for all '29 and constituting an inwardly opening ball valve. A screen 30 is held in place by the gland and provides a safe-guard against fire. It will be noted that with this construction theball valve is free to open upwardly to permit the entrance of air into each tank to displace fluid I drawn therefrom but preventingvapor from flowing outwardly through the'ball valve and into the chamber or room in which the tanks are contained.

A tube 31 is secured to and extends through the top wall of each tank and extends within a short distance of the bottom of the tank so that it is always hermetically sealed by fluid in the tank, and a gage or measuring stick 32 is inserted in the pipe with a large cap 33 at the top which covers the pipe and prevents the admission of dirt into the pipe. 7

In operation a barrel is rolled upon the barrel track and the contents discharged into any one of the opemngs and any one of the pumps 15 may be operated to discharge any one of the tanks. It will be apparent, however, that whenever operations may be in'progress either filling or drawing the oil from the tank, or manipulating the gage rod, the escape or intermixture of inage chamber is absolutely prevented, since the end of the suction tube being osed above the lower ends of the fill tube the If the returntube and the gage rod maintains a fluid seal about the lower ends of the tube. expansion of the fluid' or vapor in the tank causes a pressure therein the valve in the vent pipe. 19 will be raised to permit the discharge of the vapor. The gases are directed by means of the header 20 to a point without the building in which the tanks are located so that any vapor will not be confined in the tank chamber and there will be no danger of explosion.

W1 i claim is: t..

1. sto e appara us comprising a tank, a sucti in pipe having its intake adjacent the bottom of the tank, and a fill pipe extending below the intake of the suction with a tion pipe to form a fluid seal for preventing 2111f escape of gases in the tank through the 2. Oil storage apparatus comprising a tank, a suction pipe having its intake adjacent the bottom of the tank, and a pipe for housing a depth gage sealed about and extending through the top of the tank to a point below the intake of the suction pipe to form a fluid seal for vapors within the tank.

3. Oil storage apparatus comprising a closed tank, a suction pipe having its intake.

adjacent the bottom of the tank, and a plurality of pipes, one of which is a fill pipe,

sealed about the top. of the tank and extendingthrough the top to a point below the said intake to form a fluid seal whereby fluid may be discharged into the tank through the fill pipe at any time but preventing the discharge of gases from thetank through any one of said pipes.

4. In oil storage apparatus, the combination with a closed tank, of a suction pipe sealed in the tank having its intake adja-' cent the bottomand a fill pipe also sealed therein extendin below the intake of the suction pipe to orm a fluid seal for'preventing the escape of vapors from the tank through said pipes, and an admission valve to admit air to displace fluid drawn from the suction pipe.

5. In oil storage apparatus, the combina-.-

tion with a closed tank, of a suction pipe sealed in the tank having its intake adjacent the bottom and a fill pipe also sealed therein extending below the intake of the suction pipe to form a fluid seal for prevent ing the escape of vapors from the tank through said pipes, a vent valve to permit the escape of vapor under pressure from the tank, and an admission valve toadmit an to displace fluid drawn from thev suction 1 e. V p In apparatus of the class described, a storage tank for oils, a fill pipe, a suctlon pipe, anda return pipe, all of said pipes tion with a gplllurality of each pro-- vided with a pipe, of a suction pipe with a pump and a return pipe leading from said pump back to the tank, a vent pipe leading from each tank, and a common header with which all of said vents connect.

8. In oil storage apparatus,the combinaplurality of tanks, each provided with a fill pipe, a suction pipe with a pump and a return pipe leading from said pump .back to the tank, of a vent pipe leading from each tank, and a common header with which all of said vents connect,

said header being provided with a remote discharge opening.

9. In oil storage apparatus, the combination with aplurality of tanks, each provided with a fill pipe, a suction pipe with a pump and a return pipe leading from said pump back to the tank, of a vent pipe leading from "each tank, and a common header with which all of said vents connect, said header being provided with an up-take discharging at a distance from the tanks and each of said vent pipes being provided with a valve between the tank and said header for preventing a back-flow from said header.

' 10. In oil storage apparatus, the combination with a plurality of tanks, each provided with a fill pipe, a suction pipe with apump and a return pipe leading from said pump back to the tank, of a vent pipe leading'from each tank, a CufllIIlOIl header being provided with an up-take discharging a remote from the tanks and each of said ing from each tank, a common header for all of said vent pipes discharging outside of the rooms, a valve in each vent pipe and within the upper room, said valve being tion pipe being provided with an intake opening adjacent the bottom of the tank, of a return pipe and a fill pipe connected with each tank, the last said pipes discharging below the intake opening of said suction pipe, thereby maintaining a fluid seal about the discharge openings of said fill and return pipes, valved vents for each tank to prevent excess pressure of vapor in the tank,

a common header for the vents discharging at a distance from the tanks, and an inlet valve for each vent to displace fluid drawn therefrom, whereby the vapor-in the space above the fluid in each tank is maintained practically at atmospheric pressure.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 14th day of December A. D. 1914.

ALLEN A. BOWSER.

Witnesses:

J. R. MATLAGK, Q. J. ROHLMAN. 

